How the Graz Grows
by xXthevenomousXx
Summary: No one is absolutely certain when the Grand City of Grazgrow was first constructed. Some believe it has existed since the very beginning of time, as was the towering wall that surrounds it. Not a soul has dared venture beyond the supposed safety of these walls, but the few that have mustered the courage to take a look over, are said to have seen vast spaces of nothingness.
1. A Dusty Old Book

**Author's Note**

**This story is an ongoing novelization of an MLP Roleplay known as Grazgrow. If you are interested in joining this roleplay and being a part of the story, visit grazgrow. weebly .com for more information. If you simply want to read, by all means, disregard this message.**

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Chapter 1

It is a bright and warm afternoon. The sun is high with clouds sparsely spread throughout the otherwise clear blue sky as Cloud Nova and Electric Sky are currently sitting on a bench in the school courtyard, partaking in some small talk while enjoying the school's nutritious, another word for bland and tasteless, lunch.

"This isn't... the worst food I've ever had." said Sky, a light green Pegasus mare with a long light blue mane, as she forced herself to swallow her sandwich.

"But its not the best, either" Cloud, a white Earth Pony with a neon green mane, says with a raised brow.

Getting past that initial disgust, Sky moved on to her salad and took a bite that she immediately regret."Nope, but this is the worst, no doubt!" On instinct, she spit the glob into the grass hoping to never see it again.

Cloud was about to protest to this blatant wasting of food, but Sky quickly changed the subject. "Oh, so wanna help me study? I have a huge book report due soon, and I haven't even started reading the book yet." She confesses, lowing her ears.

"Alright, that's fine with me. Honestly, I still need a book too."

"Okay", Sky confirms as they both rise up from the old blue bench. Cloud stretches his back a bit as they were sitting there for some time now, and then begins to follow after Sky, who took off ahead of him as she often did. The School Library was only a small distance away from where they were eating, so it didn't take more than a minute for them to arrive.

The School Library was a rather dull place, but served it's purpose. White walls, with a few motivational posters strewn about to help make the mood a little less bland, brown, splotchy carpets, and your average wooden tables and chairs for students to study or read. Then of course there are shelves upon shelves of nothing but what you'd expect at a library; books. The number, too many for any sane pony aside from the librarian herself to count. The library is a rather quiet place, with a whisper here and a murmur there, until of course Cloud and Sky burst though the doors chattering loudly. Immediately, everyone's focus was on them and with a sharp shush from the librarian, they clammed right up.

"Sorry" whispered Cloud to the clearly irritated librarian. He then turned to Sky and continued, "Alright, we need to find a book called Green Witch of Hawthorn"

"Gotcha." Sky states as she enters the rows of books and begins her search. She comes to the G-Section and slows her pace so she can look more thoroughly in hopes of not missing the one she needs. "What's it about?" She asks, absentmindedly while searching. Not truly out of interest.

"Some chick who they think is a witch but isn't." He responds while still looking over the dozens of titles. As the two look through the bookcases, a rather impressive looking, gold-bound book catches Cloud's eye. Despite how high up the book it, he tries to get it on his own, but to no avail. "Hey, Sky. A little help, please?"

"Oh sure. Coming." Sky flies up to where Cloud gestured and retrieves a thick gold encrusted book. "Is this it?" she asks, but doesn't wait for an answer before dropping it. Cloud reacts quickly and catches the book, getting knocked over in the process due to it's unexpected weight. After struggling to get back on his feet, he takes a deep breath and blows the thick layer of dust from the cover of the old Tome, revealing it's title.

"Whoa, what is this? It just says Grazgrow..." Cloud says in wonder as he gazes at the large book for a few seconds, just admiring the artistic talents of whomever put together this beautiful binding. Curious as to what could be so captivating. Sky descends and hovers just over Cloud and the book, breaking his entrancement before taking hold of the thick cover and swinging it to the side. As the old tome opens, dust that had sunken into the pages over what seems like centuries was blown about the room, causing them both to cough a bit before fanning the dust away.

"Geez, its really old." she says as she's waving the still lingering dust away. Cloud starts to look through the pages in awe, examining every detail of every picture.

"Wow, what are all these creatures...? What's this- 'Ohsean' - What's an Ohsean?"

"A what?" Sky pushes Cloud out of the way so she can get a better look at the page. "It has water, and some yellow colored ground? It seems to be like some sort of giant lake... hmm."

Cloud takes the book back and begins to flip through some more pages. "Look, at this one. It's a forest?"

Sky takes the seat next to him next to him and reads silently from the passage until she looks like nothing could be more confusing. "So its a bunch of trees. But, why would anypony want a bunch of stinking trees!?" She shouts in confusion, but is quickly hushed by a nearby pony, who she quietly apologizes to.

"According to this all of the land is actually made of... a bunch of little cubes...? This stuff just can't be real."

"What? Cubes? Come on, I knew something was up when it tried to make me think there would be something like a place filled with nothing but trees! This thing is just a load of crap." Sky takes the left side of the book in her hoof and slams it shut, eliciting further shushes from surrounding ponies.

"I don't know, Sky. This looks pretty real to me." He skips to the last page on the book where it shows a what looks like a detailed map of the entire city. "Sky, check this out. It's a map!"

"A map a foal probably drew." She laughs as she takes a closer look, but stops when she realizes just what it is."Wait... that looks real. Where is that?"

"It says its Grazgrow City... this is all really strange.

"Yeah, it really is."Sky stands up from the wooden table and begins trotting around while thinking of what to do next. "Really strange... let's take it."

"Sounds good to me." Cloud responds as he closes the book. Sky picks it up from the table and takes it two the librarian who kindly checks it out for them, while at the same time giving them a look like they should be more quiet in the future. They both understand clearly and exit the library with a thank you to the librarian.

As they start walking, Sky looks at the book and thinks aloud, "It really makes me want to see this 'forest' thing."

"Yeah, it really does. Well, we should probably get to our next class. I think I heard the bell ring a few minutes ago."

"Shoot." Sky quickly responds as she starts to dash off to her next class, PE. Mid-flight, she turns and shouts something inaudible, but Cloud assumes it was something along the lines of "Later Cloud!" as she would often say. He then heads off to his class, as Sky had done before him.


	2. Persuasive Beauty

Chapter 2

After a few hours, school had ended and both Cloud Nova and Electric Sky headed off to meet up at the same place they always do, Cloud's backyard, in order to further examine the book they had discovered in the school library earlier that day.

"What?! How?" Sky exclaims as she trots back and forth in a futile attempt too wrap her head around something of this scale.

"That's just impossible... " Cloud mutters as he sits and scratches his head. "I've never seen this stuff anywhere before, yet here it is. Written as if fact."

"More importantly, what the hay is a spider? Gross! Or a... tiger!" She quickly gulps in fear. "T-tigers sound scary!" She whimpers as she zooms into an overhanging tree branch.

"Sky, come on..." Cloud says to a seemingly frightened mare in a tree.

"Whats up?" Sky blurts out nonchalantly as she swings downward, hanging from the branch by her two back legs.

"I think we should probably tell Flare about this. But before that...do you think there is actually a way over the wall?"

"Well duh." She says as she flaps her wings in an over emphasized manner."Although, do you really think Flare should know? He'll just think we're crazy."

"I don't know, we will see... lets go find the nearest wall section or whatever." Cloud stands up and starts on towards the City wall, making sure to have brought the book with him.

"Sure thing." Sky says as she jumps out of the tree and begins following Cloud."I'll try flying over without being spotted by a guard."

"No Sky, we have to go together."

"Well, I probably can't lift you, but I'll sure as hay try." Sky responds, not understanding his  
meaning.

"Sky, the wall's like 60 meters high..."

"... I know."

Looking at the wall, the first word that comes to mind for most would be Imposing. The grandiose wall stands towards the sky, and seems to be made of an impenetrable glossy white substance.

"Listen, I think is better if we can find a way through-" Before Cloud can finish his sentence, he is halted by a guard, as she should have expected since they are posted everywhere around the Wall, who had spotted them sneaking around the city limits.

"Stop right there. What are you kids up to in this area?" The guard states with heavy authority.

Sky glances at the book in Cloud's bag and then back up to the guard. "Uh, we were just going to return this book back to the library." She nervously explains to the irritated guard.

"Hmm, well alright then. Be on your way. I don't want to see you causing any trouble around here, understand?"

"We understand, yes Sir." Cloud blandly states as he and Sky trot back in the opposite direction of the wall. "We had better do this during the night." He whispers to Sky when he's sure they're out of earshot of the Guard.

"Yeah, there are just too many guards during the day. We'd better make a plan." Sky says as she picks Cloud up in order to head back to his house more quickly. As they arrive, they start looking at a modern map of the City in comparison to the old map in the book in hopes of discovering something they can use to get through "Why do you think they put the wall up anyway? Sky says as she stares at the pages.

"Well, according to the book, the wall has been her since the City was first built, however long ago that may have been."

"But come on, just look at this map. According to it, there's nothing out there beyond the wall anyway."

"Nothing beyond the Wall? What do you mean by that?"  
Comes an unfamiliar voice from behind them.

"Wh-what!?" Sky blurts as she jumps and looks toward where the voice originated. There, leaning over the top Cloud's yard fence was a white unicorn mare with a shoulder-length, slightly disheveled mane of a sage green color.

"Uh... Hi?" Cloud says, his face still showing his surprise.

"Hey." The strange mare says in response with a big grin on her face.

Quickly, Cloud tries to make an excuse for what she's been hearing. "Umm, well, we were just... reading a story... yeah."

"Really? I could have sworn I heard something about the Wall." the unicorn points out coyly.

"First, tell me who you are." Cloud demands.

"No need to get so forceful. My name is Chrome Grace, but you can just call me tonight..." She says as she vaguely winks toward Cloud.

"Uhuh... Hi." Sky says, clearly not impressed. Cloud, on the other hand seems to get a bit flustered at that.

"Oh, well if you absolutely must know, we're thinking of a way to get over the Wall." He blurts without thinking, only to suddenly get punched in the front leg by an irritated Electric Sky.

"That sounds awesome!" yells Grace, clearly satisfied with the results of her persuasion.

"Why did you just say that to someone we just met?"

"Well, uh, she's my neighbor and I've seen her in school..."

"Yeah, I'm in PE with you." Interrupts Grace. Sky turns toward her and glares at her.

"Oh you're that pony who sits in the corner."

Ignoring the jab, Grace turns toward Cloud. "So you guys wanna get over the Wall, eh? I just may happen to know a way, and I can tell ya. For a price.

Electric Sky dumps the contents of her bag on the grass and points at them "I have 3 pieces of lint and a leftover hay fry. You want it, take it."

"Not that kind of price..." She giggles as she walks closer to Cloud. "I wanna tag along."

"Oh... um." Sky looks toward Cloud for his decision.

"Eh, I don't know..." Cloud tries not to look directly at the white mare, for fear of it altering his judgement again. "How can we be sure you won't rat us out?"

"I would never. Trust me, you'll be glad I came along."

Cloud looks at Sky for confirmation, obviously wanting her to be okay with it. She rolls her eyes at him. "Ugh, fine I guess." She then faces Grace. "Okay, so how do we get over?"

Grace smiles triumphantly. "Meet me by the section of the Wall down the street from the Diner, then you will see." She then turns to leave, flicking her tail in Clouds face in the process.

Sky stands up quickly, and smiles falsely as Grace departs, and once she's clearly out of sight looks toward Cloud and whispers, "I'm bringing my weapon just in case, and so should you. We can't trust her."

"Oh come on, Sky, she seems nice enough."

"Maybe that's because you were too busy looking at her Cutie Mark."


	3. Where The Grass Grows

Chapter 3

A few hours later, Electric Sky and Cloud Nova, having managed to sneak out of their homes, have started on their way to the arranged meeting place.

"I've got my sword ready. I hope you have yours, Cloud." Sky says while motioning towards her bag where she keeps her weapon ready, yet out of sight.

"Yeah yeah, I've got it. I just don't see why you think it's necessary."

"You'll be glad I thought it when she's trying to mug us."

Cloud, not believing a pony as beautiful as Grace would do something like that, simply rolls his eyes at that statement. "Ahuh, I'm sure I will."

After a few minutes of silence, the duo arrive at the Diner where they were expecting to meet up with Chrome Grace. The Diner's large neon sign lit up most of the area around it, so it wasn't difficult to spot her sitting at a metal table drinking a soda while waiting. As they approach, Grace notices them and waves her hoof.

"Hi, guys! I wasn't sure you'd actually be coming!"

"Pfft, I'd never flake on a promise" Cloud quickly responds, nervously rubbing the back of his head with his hoof.

Sky glares at Cloud for a moment, then turns to Grace. "Hey Grace... So, this is the part of the Wall we can actually get out of?" She says skeptically.

"It sure is. Follow me." Grace says as she moves toward the Wall.

Cloud trots right up beside Grace while Sky moves a bit more cautiously, still wary of what the white and green Unicorn might be planning.

"So, are you guys ready for this?" Grace asks them excitedly.

"Y-yeah, I suppose so..." Sky stammers as she prepares to pull out her sword. She motions for Cloud to do the same. "What about you, Cloud?

"Of course I am! I've been ready since you dropped the book on me in the Library!" Cloud says with confidence, showing no signs of readying his weapon.

Grace smiles and faces the Wall. "Then check this out!" Her horn then starts to glow an intense green color as a decently sized square section of the Wall does the same. The glowing portion slowly starts to remove itself from the rest of the Wall, until its slams onto the ground, leaving a square shaped hole in it's place.

Cloud and Sky, both taken aback in shock shout simultaneously, "What the hay!?"

Cloud looks towards Sky with a smug grin on his face. "I told you we could trust her."

"So you were right, whatever." Sky admits, putting her sword back safely into her bag.

They both take a moment to just gaze through the hole at what lies before them. A grassy field, seeming to go on forever.

"I told you there'd be nothing out there..." Sky says, still awestruck at the sight.

"No, I told you that. You said there would be flowers or something." Cloud retorts.

"Pshh, whatever." Sky responds as she rolls her eyes. She slowly begins to stick her head out of the hole and into the vast empty grasslands before them. "Okay, so I guess I've gotten over my trust issues with Grace, but... now I'm not so sure about going out there..."

Cloud, not so intimidated by grass, jumps through the hole and lands roughly on the other side. "Come on Sky, lets check it out."

"Uh, I can see it fine from here..." Sky says as she slowly starts to back away.

"Oh, come on, just go! Its fine!" Says Grace, who by now has grown impatient waiting for her to gather the courage, and pushes Sky through the hole, causing her to land on her back in the soft grass.

"Hey, what are you doing!" Sky yells as she lays uncomfortably in the grass.

"Sorry about that, but you were taking too long to decide so I decided for you." Grace apologizes as she jumps through herself, landing softly on the other side.

Before Sky has a chance to get up and back through the hole, Grace's horn glows once more as she closes it up behind them.

Sky runs up to where the hole once was, and pushes against the wall. "Why did you do that, do you realize how risky that was!?"

"Uh, no? Its fine, trust me." Grace says assuredly.

"So, wait, how did you even do that?" Cloud questions.

"Anypony can do it as long as they have a special power source known as 'Aura'."

"Aura? I think I've read about that somewhere."

Sky watches, dumbfounded. "I don't get it. Just what is Aura?"

"Its the force that powers just about everything in the world, and that's what we're out here for." Grace explains.

"That's why? What do you mean?"

"I mean, we're out here so we can harvest some."

"Oh, okay! I still don't get it, but why do we need to harvest some in the first place?"

"Look, it's a lot to explain." Grace says, trying to avoid answering so many questions at once.

At that, Cloud quickly realizes something. "Hey, why do you know so much about this anyway? You never even pay attention in class." He says with a raised brow.

"Hey, that's right! Why do you know so much, Grace?" Sky says as her newly acquired trust starts to fade. She puts a hoof in her bag, ready to remove her sword.

"Calm down, I'll explain everything in time. But before then, you guys need to follow me." Grace puts up her hooves and looks to Cloud, expecting him to back her up.

Just as she had hoped, Cloud steps in between her and Sky. "Wait, Sky. If she says she'll explain herself then I'm sure she will. Come on, its fine."

With a huff, Sky takes her hoof off of her weapon. "Fine, but I'm trusting you, Cloud, not her."

"Thank you for the help, Cloud." Grace says as she winks at him. "Come on though, we should probably get going." And with that, she trots onward. Cloud and Sky closely in tow.


End file.
